The present invention generally relates to storage containers and manual grinders. More particularly, the present invention resides in a combination storage container, manual grinder, and pouring cup for natural or organic remedies including herbs, medicines and the like.
Hand-held manual spice grinders are well known, and commonly used for grinding and storing solid spices, such as pepper corns and other seeds. Typical grinders comprise a static element which has a central bore. An array of teeth project inwardly from the surface of the bore. Within the bore there is a rotatable element which has radially outwardly projecting veins. Peppercorns or other spice seeds are trapped between the veins and the teeth and ground into a powder when the rotatable element is turned. The powder then falls from the grinder, such as directly onto a plate or cooking dish.
While serving adequately to store as well as manually grind spice seeds, such a grinder cannot be used in other applications wherein herbs must be both stored and ground. There are several reasons for this. For instance, the typical spice grinder is able to hold and store the seeds while allowing the seeds to fall through small passageways into the grinding element before being discharged as ground and pulverized spices. However, herbs consisting of leaves and relatively long strands do not readily fall through the apertures of the storage container into the grinding element.
There are instances where the herbs, leaves, or the like are desirably pulverized and ground into a finer material. The herbs are typically purchased in a non-ground state and stored in this manner. Moreover, a specific amount and quantity or dose may be required if the herb is used as medicine, or a particular amount may be desired for the intended purpose. Another example is the grinding of tobacco leaves in an amount desirable for rolling a cigarette or for placement in a pipe so as to be smoked. Typical spice grinders and the like do not allow one to take these factors into consideration.
Presently, such herbs are stored in a manner in which their strong and unique odor may escape from the container and into the area surrounding the stored herbs, such as filling one's automobile, room, etc. with the odor which may be undesirable. The desired amount of herb must be extracted from the storage container and then manually ground using other means or a completely separate grinder. This is not only inconvenient, but once again the unique and strong odor of the herb is not adequately contained in using the cutting and grinding mechanisms and methods currently available.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for a device which can both store the herb, as well as serve as a grinding device so as to cut and grind the herb to the desired level, while minimizing the odors emanating from the device. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides other related advantages.